HE abduction and reported killing of two Chinese nationals in Balochistan was a security failure and the claim of responsibility by the militant Islamic State group was a troubling development. But instead of focusing on the crime and security lapse, the interior ministry appears to be more interested in victim-blaming. Following a meeting chaired by Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan on Monday, two new angles to the shocking crime in Balochistan were revealed: the abducted Chinese were allegedly Christian missionaries and they had falsely obtained business visas to Pakistan. It would seem the ministry would rather blame the victims than ascertain how and why militants were able to abduct two foreign nationals in Quetta and security forces were unable to recover them before they were reportedly killed. The security lapse was serious and no amount of shifting of blame by the interior ministry can obscure that reality.

The interior ministry`s claims, however, do raise a further set of questions. Travel to Balochistan for foreigners is by no means easy and the ministry has repeatedly claimed to have helped streamline the visa process at Pakistani missions abroad. How then were the Chinese nationals able to obtain business visas to Pakistan and how were they able to take up residence in Quetta without any institution seemingly being aware that they had, as now alleged by the ministry, entered Pakistan under false pretences? Moreover, in Balochistan in particular, Chinese nationals are supposed to be well protected, but the interior ministry`s version of events suggests the state is unaware of how many foreigners are in the province at a given moment. The recommendation that Nadra compile a database of Chinese nationals in the country and share it with all security agencies is so elemental that it is surprising it has not already been done. It calls into question all claims the state has made about the security of foreigners.

While Pakistan clearly needs to do better in its protection of Chinese nationals, and indeed all foreigners, there was perhaps one suggestion by the interior minister that Chinese nationals ought to pay heed to: comply fully with Pakistani law and cooperate as much as possible with officials. While the Pakistani visa regime is further improved, Chinese authorities should advise their nationals of all relevant Pakistani laws and discourage the exploitation of any loopholes. The abductions in Quetta, whatever the real motive behind them may be, and the killings claimed by IS have elevated the threat against the Chinese. So the common sense measures that can be quickly taken by all sides should be in place. The interior ministry`s victim-blaming is troubling, but for the Chinese the safety of their nationals should be paramount. If a grave new threat has emerged, total transparency and scrupulous adherence to the law by foreigners can help mitigate the risks.